Footwear with body grounding means



25, 1953 w; G. LEGGE 2,650,327

FOOTWEAR WITH BODY GROUNDING MEANS Filed Jan. 17, 1952 INVENTOR MLTEI? 6. 4606 6 BY azaflfi' ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 25, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Walter G. Leggc, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application January 17, 1952, Serial No. 266,823

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to electrostatic body grounding devices and has particular reference to an article of footwear having an electrostatic body grounding means formed as a part thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide an article of footwear which may be periodically washed or sterilized to render the same antiseptic whereby the same is adapted for use by nurses and doctors in operating rooms and when administering or handling anesthetics and which is provided with body grounding means for conducting electrostatic charges to the supporting surface so as to prevent the ignition of the inflammable anesthetic liquid or the fumes thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article of footwear having conductive material extending over the outer face of the tread portion thereof which is connected by a conductive strip on one side and on the inner face thereof for engagement with the leg of the wearer for conducting electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer to the supporting surface.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an article of footwear of said character in which the conductive material is formed by impregnating or coating the same with comminuted material mixed in a liquid bonding agent.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of an article of footwear having electrostatic grounding means constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximately on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken approximately on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximately on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the article of footwear indicated gen erally by the reference character I is in the form of a boot which covers the foot and ankle and extends up the leg to a point below the knee. The boot I0 is preferably made of flexible fabric such as cotton duck, canvas and the like so that the same may be periodically washed or sterilized to render the same antiseptic for use by nurses and doctors in operating rooms and the like.

In order to provide means for conducting electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer to the ground, the boot I0 is rendered conductive over the tread portion I I thereof and over a portion of the side wall I2 adjacent the tread portion II with a strip of conductive material I3 extending up the side wall I2 and over the top edge I4 of the boot and connected with a strip I5 extending about the upper edge of the boot. The conductive material preferably consists of finely divided graphite, carbon and the like which is mixed with a liquid bonding vehicle so as to cause the same to adhere to or impregnate the fabric to provide the aforesaid conductive areas. The bonding vehicle may be a rubber base, synthetic pyroxlin plastic base, or synthetic resinous base, which when dried securely. bonds and retains the conductive material in the interstices of the fabric material. The upper portion of the boot I0 is slitted at the rear to provide a rear opening I8 for facilitating donning of the boot and in order to provide for positive contact of the conductive material l5 with the leg of the wearer, tie-strings I6 and I! are provided for constricting the top thereof so as to tighten the upper portion of the boot about the leg of the wearer.

The conductive material will readily conduct electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer to the supporting surface in order to provide a protection for nurses and doctors when administering anesthetics and the like so as to prevent ignition of such liquids or the fumes thereof. The resistance to the passage of current therethrough may be varied by the amount of graphite or carbon employed in the coating. The same may have a resistance of 250,000 ohms which will prevent an excessive current flowing therethrough which might endanger the wearer in the event that the conductive portion of the boot came in contact with a high potential conductor. However, the resistance of this conductive material may vary from 25,000 ohms to 500,000 ohms depending upon the use to be made of the boot.

It is to be understood that the conductive ma terial impregnating the tread portion I I, the side wall I2 to form the conductive strip I3 and the inner face of the upper portion to form the strip I5 does not extend through the fabric forming the boot I 0 to render the fabric conductive on the opposite face thereof. Thus the tread portion II and the strip I3 are conductive on the outer face of the boot I0 and the strip I5 is conductive on the inner face of the boot.

What is claimed is:

1. In a body grounding device, an article of footwear of non-conductive material having a conductive surface portion exposed on the sole thereof for engagement with a supporting surface, a conductive surface strip exposed on the outer surface of one side thereof and extending from said conductive sole portion to the top of the article of footwear, a conductive surface strip extending about the inner face of said article of footwear and a conductive strip extending over the upper edge of said article of footwear and connecting said upwardly extending strip with the strip on the inner face of said article of footwear, and means carried by said article of footwear for tightening the upper portion thereof about the leg of the wearer for engagement of said conductive strip on the inner, face thereof with the leg of the wearer for conducting electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer to the supporting surface.

2. In a body grounding device, an article of footwear of non-conductive material having conductive material formed as a surfacing exposed on the sole thereof for engagement with a supporting surface, a conductive surfacing formed as. a strip exposed on the outer surface of one side thereof and extending from said conductive sole surfacing to the top of the article of footwear, a conductive surfacing located on the inner face of said article of footwear adjacent the top thereof and a. conductive surfacing extending over the upper edge of said article of footwear and connecting said upwardly extending strip with the surfacing on the inner face of said article of footwear, and. means carried by said article of footwear for tightening the upper portion thereof about the leg of the wearer for engagement of said conductive surfacing on the inner face thereof with the leg of the wearer for conducting electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer through said conductive surfacings to the supporting surface.

3. In a body grounding device, an article of. footwear of non-conductive material having. conductive material impregnated therein and exposed on the. sole thereof for engagement with a supporting surface, conductive material impregnating onev side of said article of footwear in the form of a conductive strip extending from the conductive material exposed on the sole to the top of the article of footwear, conductive material impregnating said article of footwear about the inner face thereof adjacent the top and impregnating said article of footwear over the upper edge thereof and connecting said upwardly extending strip with thestrip on the inner face of said article of footwear, said article of footwear having a slit at the rear of the upper portion thereof and tie-strings connected to the opposite sides of said article of footwear for tightening the upper portion thereof about the leg of the wearer for engagement of said conductive strip on the inner face of the article of footwear with the leg of the wearer for conducting electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer to the supporting surface.

4. In a body grounding device, an article of footwear of non-conductive material including a foot covering portion and a leg encircling portion, said foot covering portion having conductive material exposed on the sole thereof for engagement with the supporting surface, conductive material in the form of a strip exposed on the outer surface of said leg covering portion on one side thereof and extending from said conductive material on the sole portion to the top of the leg encircling portion, conductive material on the inner face of said leg encircling portion and conductive material extending over the upper edge of said leg encircling portion and connecting said outwardly extending strip with the conductive material on the inner face of said leg encircling portion, and means for tightening said leg encircling portion about the leg of the wearer for conducting electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer to the supporting surface.

WALTER G. LEGGE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,940,491 Freitag Dec. 19, 1933 2,287,744 Monahan June 23, 1942 2,407,189 Taber Sept. 3, 1946 

